Robert Cohen, aka the NOTMILK MAN, made a strong case for indicting dairy products as a cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the tragic situation in which parents find their previously healthy baby lying dead in its crib. In his email newsletter of January 19, he cited the following references in support of this theory:

"Breast feeding is known to protect an infant against gastrointestinal pathogens and epidemiological studies indicate that compared to breast fed infants, formula fed infants are at a greater risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome." Immunol Med Microbiol, 1999 Aug, 25:1-2

"Hypersensitivity to milk is implicated as a cause of sudden death in infancy." The Lancet, vol. 2, 7160, November 19, 1960

"Those infants who died of SIDS expressed inappropriate or inflammatory responses suggesting violent allergic reactions to a foreign protein. Lung tissue and cells showed responses similar to bronchial wall inflammation in asthma." The Lancet, vol. 343, June 4, 1994

"Those who consumed cows milk were fourteen times more likely to die from diarrhea-related complications and four times more likely to die of pneumonia than were breast-fed babies. In-tolerance and allergy to cow's milk products is a factor in sudden infant death syndrome." The Lancet, vol. 344, November 5, 1994

"The three most common milk proteins are casein, beta-lactoglobulin, and alpha-lactalbumin. The correlation between these three cow proteins and childhood allergies is high...a strategy of soy protein as a substitute for cow's milk is suggested."

Pediatr-Med-Chir., Sep/Oct, 1994, 16(5)

"Diet has a significant effect on the developing immune system...formula fed babies, at the age of 3 months, were secreting low levels of serum antibodies to cow milk antigens contained in their formula." Pediatr-Allergy-Immunol., August, 1994, 5(3)

"Formula fed infants developed symptoms of allergic rejection to cow milk proteins before one month of age. The majority of infants tested had two or more symptoms...About 50-70 percent experienced rashes or other skin symptoms, 50-60 percent gastrointestinal symptoms, and 20-30 percent respiratory symptoms. The recommended therapy is to avoid cow's milk." Pediatr.-Allergy-Immunol., 1994, 5(5 Suppl)

We recommend Robert Cohen's book, Milk the Deadly Poison (See order blank.). His website is: http://www.notmilk.com

It seems likely there is more than one contributing factor to SIDS. In previous issues we have reported theories blaming vaccines (Dr. Viera Scheibner See order blank) which are still being used, and suffocation which resulted in the recommendation that babies be put to sleep on their backs rather than face down.